KCK: Anyone who rejects massacres must support legitimate struggle of Shengal people

The KCK issued a statement recalling the victims of the massacre of 3 August 2014 in Shengal, which read:

 Ten years have passed since the ferman1 carried out by ISIS against our Êzidî (Yazidi) people in Shengal (Sinjar) on August 3, 2014. We once again condemn with great anger this genocide – one of the most brutal and savage in human history – and all the forces that played a role in it. We respectfully commemorate all those who lost their lives. We deeply share the pain that the people of Shengal and the entire people of Kurdistan. As the Kurdish freedom movement, we emphasize once again that we will stand by the people of Shengal today, as we did in the past, as part of our historical, humanitarian, and national-patriotic responsibility.

The massacre of Shengal took place before the eyes of the world, yet the world remained silent and unmoved in the face of this atrocity. Thousands of Êzidis, young and old, and even children, were brutally slaughtered by ISIS, an ally of the AKP regime, and thousands of women were raped, enslaved, and later sold at markets. Many women had chosen to commit suicide so to not fall encounter this brutal situation, which is unbearable for the human soul and heart. And still, thousands of these women are still missing. The Shengal massacre, which our Êzîdî people define as the 74th ferman, has gone down in history as one of the biggest massacres against them. The aim of this massacre was to eliminate our Êzîdî people, which corresponds to the basic definition of genocide. The intervention of the Kurdish freedom guerrilla and the resilience of the people of Shengal prevented total annihilation. Had it not been for the intervention of the guerrilla and the support of the YPG and YPJ forces, hundreds of thousands of Êzidis would have been massacred, and they would have been completely wiped out.

Although all states remained bystanders in the face of the Shengal massacre, the main force that created the ground for the massacre was the KDP, which fled, leaving the people of Shengal defenseless just as ISIS attacked. Therefore, the KDP is as responsible and guilty for the Shengal massacre as ISIS. The KDP is a power that must be tried and held accountable in history for this grave crime. While this is the truth, the KDP shamelessly wants to regain sovereignty over Shengal as if nothing had happened – the KDP continues to engage in covert and dirty acts for this purpose. It is a consequence of the betrayal of the KDP that the people of Shengal prefer self-governance and self-defense. With this, the people of Shengal will ensure that they never experience another ferman.

The KDP makes the Turkish state attack Shengal and prevents the Iraqi state from recognizing the legitimate and democratic demands of the people. Since it sees the people and the country as its own property, the KDP does not want the people of Shengal to have their own will to govern and defend themselves; it wants to regain control by making the people dependent. However, no matter how hard they try, both the people of Shengal and the people of Kurdistan as a whole know the reality of the KDP and the Barzanis. The history of the KDP has been one of betrayal, surrender, and conspiracies. The Barzanis have never been concerned about the people, country, or freedom. Their only concern has been their individual family interests. There is no value they will not sell for the sake of these interests. Throughout history, they have constantly brought our people face-to-face with massacres and caused great suffering for them. They did the same thing when ISIS attacked Shengal; they did not put themselves in danger. Instead, they left the people to face a massacre just hours before it was attacked. Today again, the Barzanis are siding with the Turkish state in the occupation of South Kurdistan. The genocidal colonialist Turkish state wants to occupy South Kurdistan, including Shengal, and carry out genocide, relying on the Barzanis. By occupying the South, the Turkish state aims to carry out the genocide that ISIS failed to accomplish in Shengal.

We once again commemorate with respect those who lost their lives in the Shengal massacre, and as the Kurdish freedom movement, we point out once again that we are always with the people of Shengal. The struggle of the people of Shengal to live according to their faith, identity, language, and culture and to defend themselves is a completely correct, legitimate, and democratic struggle. Those who oppose the massacre and mass murderers, especially the Iraqi state, should stand by the legitimate and democratic struggle of the people of Shengal. The Iraqi state should take into account the will and democratic and legitimate demands of the people of Shengal, who have been subjected to many genocidal attacks throughout history, and should ensure the solution of the problem in this way. The people of Shengal must solve their problems on the basis of dialog and democratic principles. Everyone with a democratic and humane approach should support this. The Barzanis and the Turkish state are trying to ensure that the problems in Iraq remain unresolved and the conflicts deepen. The invasion attacks against South Kurdistan serves this purpose. Everyone, especially the Iraqi state, the Iraqi political forces, intellectuals, and society, must stand against the plans of the Barzanis and the Turkish state, which are the cause of occupation, annihilation, and genocide.

Sh-S

ANHA